Clock bank



w. 0. AND 1. R. PEN'NINGTON.

CLOCK BANK.

APPLlCATlON FILED MAR. 1, 1922.

W. D. AND J. R PENNINGTON.

CLOCK BANK.

APPUCATION FILED MAR. 1. 1922.

Patented Oct. 10, 1922;,

4 SHEETSSHEE1 2.

W. D. AND J. R. PENNINGTON.

CLOCK BANK.

APPupATlon FILD MAR-7,1922.

Patented Ogt. 10,1922.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3. j

W. D. AND J. R. PENNINGTON.

CLOCK BANK.

APPUCATION FILED MAR. 71 1922.

Patented Oct. 10, 1922..

4 S,HEETS-SHEE14.

Z OR/ Eg -m Patented Oct. 10, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM D. PENNINGTON AND JOHN R. PENININGTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLOCK BANK.

Application filed March 7, 1922. Serial No. 541,868.

To nil whom it may concern Be it known that we, VILLIAM D. PEN- NINGTON and JOHN R. PENNINGTON, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois. have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in (look Banks, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to clock banks, that is to say small savings banks involving clocks in their construction.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical and effective construction of clock bank.

Another object of the invention is to require the deposit of a savings coin each time the clock is wound.

Another object of the invention is to secure simplicity of construction and ease of operation.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a clock bank involving our present invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same; a

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section partially in elevation taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with a coin operating mechanism in a different position; 1

Fig.- 6 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 4 with the coin operating mechanism in a different position;

Fig. 7 is a cross section partially in elevation taken on line 77 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a view of a detail of construction;

Fig. 9 is a view partially 'in elevation taken on line 99 of Fig. 4;

Figs. 10 and 11 are respectively a front elevation and side elevation of a modified form of construction;

Fig. 12 is a cross section taken on line 12-12 of Fig. 13; y

Fig. 13 is a cross section partially in elevation taken on line 1313 of Fig. 12;

Fig. 14; is a cross section taken on line 14-14 of Fig. 12.

Referring to the drawings and at present to Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive, we show a bank involving a case 1 which may be of any suitable form and size adapted for the purposes hereof, as will be more fully pointed out. A clock 2 is shown mounted in this case 1, preferably in the upper portron of the same. This clock is preferably so mounted that its front face is more or less flush with the front face of the case 1, so that the dial of the bank may be visible through the case, a suitable opening being provided therefor. I I

A shutter or curtain 3 is shown in front of the case 1. This shutter or curtain is arranged so that it may be moved into position in front of the dial of the clock 2 and Withdrawn from that position. Preferably the shutter 3 is arranged for vertical movement so that by raising or lowering it the dial of the clock may be obscured or exposed.

The shutter 3 is preferably provided with operating mechanism by which it may be raised and lowered from the rear of the clock, as for example by having straps 66 extend through slots 77 in the case and connected as by rivets or screws 8-8 with a slide 9 arranged to slide vertically in the rear part of the case 1. This slide 9 is preferably arranged for manual control and actuation, a simple arrangement being to provide it with a thumb-screw 10 arranged to work in a slot 11 in the rear of the case. whereby the raising and lowering of the thumb-screw 10 will raise and lower the slide 9 and thereby raise and lower the shutter 3. The thumb-screw 10 may be attached to and detached from the slide 9 so that the back 12 of the bank may be taken off. This back 12 is preferably arranged to slide vertically downward, a clip 13 being provided at its upper end to engage the rim of the case 1 and the bottom 14:, holding the said back 12 in position, said bottom 14 being also removable to permit the removal of the back 12 and gain access to the inside of the case.

Arrangement is preferably made by which the shutter 3 may be locked in an upper position to cover the clock dial unless a coin is deposited in the bank when it is desired to wind the clock. Otherwise although the clock may be wound without the coin, the shutter 3 will remain in position to obscure the clock face and thereby make the clock practically valueless.

To this end a coin slot 15 is provided in the rear wall 12 of the back to permit the insertion of a coin. This coin slot 15 is adjacent to the vertically movable slide 9, so

that a coin inserted in the slot 15 will come into the space between the back wall 12 and the slide 9. The latter is provided with coin supporting members 17, 17 which will support and receive a coin inserted into the slot 15 when the slide 9 is in a lowered osition. In Fig. 2 the slot 15 is shown and t e members 17, 17 also appear, the coin being insertable upward through the slot 15. The upward movement of the slide 9 moves the coin 18 upwardly into the position shown in Fig. 5. In this position it is in front of three pivoted members 19, 19 and 20. The two members 19, 19 are similar and longer than the member 20 and are provided at their lower ends with hooks 21, 21. The intermediate member 20 is provided with a hook 22. The members 19 are mounted on a spring 23 and the member 20 is pivoted at 24.

The arrangement of the hook members 19 and 20 is such that when the coin 18 is in an upward position it will pass above the hooks 21 thereof and the member 20 will be in contact with the outer or rear face of the coin. Thus, when the slide 9 is again lowered, the hooks 21 will hold the coin 18 upwardly, although the slide 9 will move down from the inner side thereof, and consequently when the top of the slide 9 has passed underneath the coin 18 said coin will be free to move inwardly toward the front of the clock and will do so, passing over the top of the slide 9 and through the space in the rear of the clock 2, whence it will fall downwardly into a bank chamber or receptacle 27 located in the lower part of the casing 1. In Fig. 4 several coins 18 are shown in this bank receptacle 27. In Fig. 6 a coin 18 is shown moving inward from over the top of the slide 9 and dropping into the receptacle 27. From this it will be seen that a coin may be inserted and then the slide 9 moved upwardly, as manually, by engaging the thumb-screw 10, and when this is done the coin will be moved upwardly and then deposited in the bank receptacle, and when the coin slide is in its upward position the shutter 3 will be in front of the clock, thereby obscuring its face.

While the coin slide is up and the shutter 3 also up covering the clock face, the clock may be wound. This is permitted by moving a side extension 9 of the slide 9 with two apertures 29 and 30 which register with the two winding stems 31' and 32, respectively, controlling the winding and striking mechanism of the clock. Thus, the coin slide will be held upwardly to permit the winding of the clock by insertion of the key through the apertures 29 and 30. When a coin has been used or inserted in the slot 15 and carried upwardly by the coin slide,

the shutter and coin slide may be lowered. again after the winding process is completed so as to again uncover the clock face and make it of use. When, however, a coin has not been used the slide and shutter will be automatically held or locked in an upward position, so that the shutter 3 covers the clock face and makes the clock of no practical use.

This result is secured by means of the intermediate member 20 and its hook 22 which is adapted to engage an aperture 34 in the slide 9 (Fig. 8). By this arrangement when the slide 9 is moved upwardly without a coin, the hook 22 immediately moves into the aperture 34, thus engaging and locking the slide 9, which operation is prevented when a coin is used, becausethe coin is interposed between the hook member 20 and the slide 9, thereby preventing hook 22 from entering aperture 34. In this condition means must be taken to restore the clock to a useful condition by opening it and. releasing the coin slide and lowering it to again expose the clock face. This can be permitted to be done by the detachable bottom 14 which is normally locked in position, but may be unlocked by the banking institution putting out the banks. This, of course, necessitates the taking of the clock down to the banking institution and having the latter open it and take out the coins and restore the operating mechanism to permit further use of the bank. Hence, whenever the owner of the clock bank attempts to wind his clock without depositing a savings coin, he makes his clock useless for practical purposes and obliges himself to go to the banking institution to have it restored to operative condition. This, of course, is only one arrangement that could be made. Other arrangements will sug est themselves in view of the disclosure of t e mechanism.

In the modification shown in Figs. 10 to 14 inclusive, we-disclose an arrangement for accomplishing substantially the same result as accomplished by the preceding mechanism arrangement, but with slightly modified mechanism for controlling the operation of the shutter to obscure and reveal the clock face. In this modification we show a shutter 3 having rearwardly extending straps 6 running back to and connected with a coin slide 9 and its side extension 9. In this case the coin slot 39 is in the side of the bank (Fig. 12), and a coin chute 40 extends in wardly and downwardly from the same so as to open into the space 41 on the inner side of the coin slide 9 in the rear of the coin receptacle 42. The coin slide 9 is provided with a pair of inwardly projecting pins 43,

'43 upon which a coin passing through the coin chute 40 will rest, as shown in dotted. lines in Fig. 12.

A swinging coin controller or trap 44 is pivoted at 45 and is subject to the spring 46, tending normally to swing it backwardly,

Another pivoted member 48 is'p'ivoted at 49 substantially above the swinging member 44, the member 48 having a prong 50 and being subject to aspring 51 tending to swing it rearwardly. When the coin slide 9 is moved upwardly carrying a coin 18, the coin moves in the rear of the members 44 and 48. The lower edge of the coin passes above the top of the member44 and the body of the coin comes into position between the hook 50 on member 48 and the rear wall of the clock case. In this upper position the shutter conceals the face of the clock and the same may be wound by aikey passing through apertures 53 and 54, as explained in the previously described device. When there is a coin in the coin slide, the latter may be lowered to again expose the clock face and the coin will pass on the inner side of the member 44 and slide downwardly into the coin box. WVhen, however, there is no coin in the coin slide, the latter will be locked in an upward position by hole 55 coming into register and engaging the prong 50 of the swinging member 48. coin slide in its upward position, making the clock useless for timekeeping purposes and necessitating the owner taking some steps to restore it to operative condition, either by taking the device to a banking institution to have it opened or otherwise, as may be desired.

It will be understood that changes and modifications may be made without depart ing from the spirit of the invention.

a What we claim is:

1. A clock bank having a manually operable shutter arranged for movement into and out of position in front of the clock face, coin-controlled mechanism controlling such movement, and means controlling the winding of the clock also controlled by said coin-controlled mechanism.

2. A clock bank having manually operable means for obscuring and revealing the clock face and coin controlled mechanism for controlling said means, said mechanism being adapted to lock said means in obscuring condition when a coin is not used, and not to lock same when a coin is used.

3. A clock bank having manually opera.- ble means for obscuring the clock face and also for controlling the winding of the clock by covering and uncovering the winding devices on the back thereof, and coin controlled mechanism for controlling said means.

4. A clock bank having manually operable means for obscuring the clock face and at the same time permitting the winding of the clock, said means being adapted to be locked in obscuring osition when no coin is used and not to be ocked in such position when a coin is used.

5. A device of the class specified, having This will hold the.

a timepiece and also having a shutter adapted to be'moved into and out of position in front of the same, and coin controlled mechanism comprising a coin slide arranged to operate the shutter, and means for permitting the shutter to uncover the,timepiece when a coin is used, and to lock the shutter in covering position when no coin is used, said means comprising a device for engaging and locking the coin slide, said device being held out of operation by a coin in the slide.

6. A device of the class specified, having a time iece and also having a shutter adapte to be moved into and out of position in front of the same, and coin controlled mechanism comprising a coin slide arranged to operate the shutter, and means for permitting the shutter to uncover the timepiece when a coin is used, and to lock the shutter in covering position when no coin is used, said means com rising a hook member for engaging and ocking the coin slide, said member being held out of operation by a coin in the slide.

7. A device of the class specified, having a timepiece and also having a shutter adapted to be moved into and out of position in front of the same, and coin controlled mechanism comprising a coin slide arranged to operate the shutter, and means for permitting the shutter to uncover the time- 'piece when a coin is used, and to lock the shutter in covering position when no coin is used, said means comprising a device for engaging and locking the coin slide, said device being held out of operation by a coin in the slide and means for engaging the coin and depositing it when the coin slide is retracted.

8. A device of the class specified, having a time iece and also having a shutter adapted to be moved into and out of position in front of the same, and coin controlled mechanism comprising a coin slide arranged to operate the shutter, and means for permitting the shutter to uncover the timepiece when a coin is used, and to lock the shutter in covering position when no coin is used, said means comprising a device for engaging and locking the coin slide, said device being held out of operation by a coin in the slide and hook members for en gaging the coin and depositing it when the coin slide is retracted.

9. A device of the class specified, having a timepiece and also having a shutter adapted to be moved into and out of position in front of the same, and coin controlled mechanism comprising a coin slide arranged to operate the shutter, and means for permitting the shutter to uncover the timepiece when a coin is used, and to lock the shutter in covering position when no coin is used, said means comprising a hook member for engaging and locking the coin slide, said member being held out of operation by a coin in the slide, and hook members for engaging the coin and depositing it when the slide is retracted.

10. The combination with the timepiece of a shutter mounted to he slid vertically into and out of position in front of the timewhen the shutter is in position in front of the timepiece, a finger device b which the coin slide may be moved up an down from the outside, a catch for engaging the coin slide when empty and locking same with shutter in front of timepiece, said catch being held out of engagement by a coin in the slide, and means for depositing the coin.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 28th day of F ebruary, A. D. 1922.

WILLIAM D. PEN-NINGTON. JOHN R. PENNINGTON. 

